Remembrance Sunday

Nov.11,2012

It is Remembrance Sunday. In a few hours I will be taking part in a service recalling the sacrifices of our veterans and current service personnel to protect the freedoms we enjoy but too often take for granted.

I am using WordPress as my blogging platform. I found a three column theme which seemed to have most of the elements I wanted to include. However, I had no easy way to create a header, so a google search helped me find bigbluelabs that helps one create a header from your own photograph. After a bit of playing around, I was able to create this header which features Tam’s dad’s military memorabilia, including his army identity photo and dogtags. Marvin died earlier this year, and this header is partly my tribute to him and to his daughter whom I love deeply and without reservation.

It also reflects my values. One of my core Bible passages comes from John 1.14: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. One of the characteristics of the Jesus whom I follow is his ability to measure out to each person and each situation the exact proportion of grace and truth that is needed. I confess I am not very good at it, but it is my desire to bring grace and truth into all my relationships with a generous sprinkling of humor and humility.

Finally, those best values of patriotism and duty to country which the memorabilia in the header bring to mind are also seen in one who follows Jesus, a disciple. At the end of the day, a disciple is a person who lovingly obeys all that Jesus asks in living life as and in being a citizen of the Kingdom of God. It’s an upside-down kingdom, where the first are last and the master the servant. Lord, in your mercy, please grant me this kind of life and presence with others.